CNN.com - The illegal drug khat showing up in the U.S. - September 12, 2002

First, let's hear it for the drug warriors!

Khat has been illegal since 1993 in the United States. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, chronic use can cause violence and suicidal depression similar to amphetamine addiction, though the agency said it was unaware of any examples.

"We don't know of anything actually happening, but we're sure it's bad!" And now, how about a hand for its advocates:

"What coffee is to Americans is what khat is for Somalis," said Omar Jamal, executive manager of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. "The whole thing about khat being addictive is very strange for Somalis. It's a completely different frame of thinking."

"I mean, nobody was ever addicted to coffee, right?"

Khat (the first time I heard of it they spelled it qat -- I think we should push that spelling for Scrabble reasons) contains cathinone, which is similar to amphetamines. It's really not a big deal. Admittedly, it's gross, but no grosser than chewing tobacco.